The story
Crafted with passion, served with love
A Second Life by the Sea
Next to a car park on the Bohuslän coast stands a low, barrack-like building that punches well above its weight. Café Västbacken, run by host Johan Hasselskog, has earned a White Guide recommendation — and the story behind that recognition is as compelling as the food itself.
A few years ago, the original summer restaurant burned to the ground. What rose in its place is deliberately unpretentious: planked walls, a bar and tables built from weathered grey timber, and windows that frame an open view of the sea. The atmosphere is relaxed and genuinely convivial — when the room fills up, the mood tends to follow.
What Arrives on the Table
The kitchen leans hard on locally sourced produce, though the occasional ingredient from further afield earns its place. The daily menu rotates around three anchors: Dagens början — a starter that has featured silky duck liver on brioche with Marsala-poached raisins — a meat dish such as slow-roasted lamb rump, and a fish of the day. Then there is the fish stew, now firmly a house classic and reason enough for a return visit.
Worth the Extra Mile
Whether you arrive by car or pull up by boat, Café Västbacken rewards the effort. It is the kind of place where local cooking, honest materials, and a sea view combine without fuss — exactly the combination that caught the attention of the White Guide judges.
Recognition